I’ve always enjoyed both watching and playing basketball. When I was younger I was on a couple teams, won some trophies. It never was a serious pursuit. If I played ball as well I write rhymes, I’d be in the NBA for sure. Yeah I said it. Over the years I’ve become unenthused with the game as far as watching them goes. So many things have changed. 

On the 2nd full length record I recorded, (the one I never really mention to anyone, though it’s available through most digital music channels online…) ‘Pagan: 1st Movement 1968‘ I did a song called, ‘Basketball Jones‘. Of all the songs downloaded and purchased from that LP, ‘Basketball Jones’ clocks in the highest number. For what reason I can’t honestly say, I haven’t slightest idea of a way to really analyze it. One thought though is perhaps the links to that song in particular being scattered about the net for free, were then bought by listeners that thouroughly enjoyed it and wanted to then buy it. People do, do that you know. Seriously, they do.

Anyway, I just stumbled on to the original Mobb Deep track I wrote the rhyme to.  Then after trying to see how much of the song I could recite from memory I found the song online, downloaded it and transcribed it. I think I’m going to rerecord it. Provided I actually find the beat I made for it. Performing this would cool. I intend on doing that soon.

Basketball Jones

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I gottah basketball jones like for Cleopatra of that same last name

actin like it’s all the same ol game of hardwood floor fourplay for big scores

give and go deals gone wrong, hoop dream songs

 I vote for earl the pearl over your iced out medallions 

them brothers playing ball like they on the island

I’m the iceman ice berg pimpin finger rolls

spittin sport center prose, street cred earns helicopter herns

soul for real is them souls in the hole

got caught and called foul red handed for them blue chips i stole

you know it’s a market for young black males in sneaker sales

cross over crosstown where this kat was found merked for an empty shoe box

Who tops the charts with smart remarks like the minister farahkahn?

the sinister black-top we stand upon

we make plans in Rucker stands of how to detox the fans and expand from the farm

grassroots salutes, no clutch shots, hail mary long bombs from mid court

just preparing for life’s infinte battles

lay up lines instead of line ups, headshots instead of mugshots

he think he thug, but I think he needed love and hugs when he was growing up

the grim reaper is here at the scrimmage, another way of saying death is showing up

slowin up the progress of the prosgressively aggressive

let me express this as plainly as I can

when karma comes back to settle the score the score in pickup games

the wrong man may end up maimed, end up blamed

shot in the rain, bullets go in soul released from the top of a bodies frame

perfect picture picked apart, poisoness dart dark knight sparked

now the kids can’t play in that street or that park because it’s too tramatic

then they say we be to dramatic when another brother gets the radio raheem does

of that same rhertoric, unsympathetic static

If you’re reading this on Facebook, here’s the link to the ‘Basketball Jones’ mp3: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KZBOGSEG